Gratitude
by BleedingSapphireShadows
Summary: All this time we thought he was  dead, but when the cat comes back with some very important news for Ichigo and a serious attitude change, how will our resident shinigami feel about letting the blue-haired Espada stay with him for good? FINISHED ONESHOT!


GRATITUDE:

Ichigo undid the lock he insisted on having on his door, despite the fact that he knew the lock was no match for his idiot father.

He shut the door and locked it behind him.

He turned, walked until he was into the main part of his room, and blinked.

He blinked again, not believing the sight that greeted him.

His door and his window were both locked the last time he checked. And the last time he checked, the man on his bed was dead.

"G…Grimm…jow?"

The turquoise-haired Espada had his arms around a knee, one leg dangling from Ichigo's bed and easily reaching the floor.

"Hey, Kurosaki. Long time no see."

The response was simple. Polite. Non-threatening. Humble, almost.

Something was wrong. This was _not_ the Grimmjow he knew. Something was terribly wrong. Was Grimmjow _broken_ or something?

"Grimmjow…are you okay?"

"Yeah. It's been a while since we last met. But I've been doing fine. Getting around in the human world wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be." The once-hot-tempered Espada kept his cool tone, no hint of challenge.

"Y…you seem so…different…." Ichigo scanned over the man in front of him, still not convinced it was the Grimmjow he once knew.

The next move he made was the final blow against Ichigo's belief that this was Grimmjow:

The Espada bowed his head. He actually let his chin come within an inch of his lower throat. Ichigo had never seen that happen before.

"Grimmjow…you seem like you've been broken in…like a wild animal that's been tamed by being beaten into submission…I never imagined the day I'd see you like this…you seemed so powerful….what happened to you?"

Grimmjow made eye contact, much to Ichigo's relief. At least the Espada could still look people in the eye.

"You don't remember? We were fighting. You were gonna win. But then Nnoitora showed up. You _do _remember, right?"

"Yeah…" Ichigo squinted at Grimmjow, "But I don't see how that's done _this_ to you…."

"I got shown who's boss between the two of us. I had to crawl away and actually walk away defeated. And I always expected to die if I was defeated. But I actually had to live with the knowledge that there are people out there who can kick my sorry butt."

"So that's why you're acting so submissive…" Ichigo said it aloud without even meaning to.

"Yeah." Grimmjow looked away before meeting Ichigo's eyes again, "I owe you my life, Kurosaki. I really do. And I won't ever forget who gave me a life I never would have accepted had I not learned just how much I wanted to live. You defeated me, but then you turned around and defended me. I was your enemy, but you still had my back. I would never have gotten that kind of protection from other Espadas. And it made me realize something…" he paused and took a deep breath, "Sometimes, it's not fighting everyone else around you that gets you power. It's standing up for who you are, what you believe in, and the people you want to protect that makes you strong. So thank you. Thank you for putting up with me and saving me when I needed it the most."

Ichigo was silent. He was honestly at a loss for words.

There was a pause between them, Grimmjow apparently trying to bring up a topic that was a bit more sensitive.

"Um…Ichigo, listen…" he paused, making sure he wanted to say it, "There's something I wanted to tell you besides 'thank you'. And it's something that I've had to think long and hard about. Really, it's two things, but I can bring them up at the same time. I would have come to tell you this sooner, but I had to muster up the courage."

He looked down, letting it sink in that there would be no going back from this before meeting Ichigo's eyes again and standing up, getting off the bed.

"Ichigo…I think I love you, and since the Espada kicked me out a lot sooner than I thought they would, I need somewhere to stay. Considering how I'm still in your debt…I'm hoping you'll accept my love, if not at least my body, as payment…-"

"You can definitely stay, without question. Rukia stayed here too once, so if there's someone who can smuggle you, it's me. But you don't have to pay me back…I'm not doing this because I want to have you at my beck and call. I'm doing this for the same reason I help all of my friends… because it's only the right thing to do and because I care."

"Ichigo, I'm not just handing myself over because I'm all I have to give you…I told you…I…I sort of have a crush on you. I thought it was just fascination at first…that's why I kept wanting to fight you. I wanted to see how you kept up with me. Then after saving me, it grew into admiration, sort of. But now…after having you on my mind so much…Ichigo, there's so much you could teach me, and there's so much I want to thank you for…but more than anything…I just want to be with you. You comfort me, you make me feel like I'm worth something and that someone out there actually gives a rat's behind if I live or die…and I've never felt like that before. Being a Hollow was a lonely life controlled by nothing but eating…I thought being an Espada would be more than that, but it just turned into a brutal slaughterhouse of who could kill who. Nobody trusted anyone else. You were my safety from that…and I just want to hold the person who did so much for me close and never let him go." Slowly, Grimmjow wrapped his arms around Ichigo's arms and torso, closing the distance between them in a firm hug, "I owe you one, Shinigami, _big time_, and I know how I feel about you…please…when a cat comes looking for a mate, it's somewhat impolite to just turn them down but keep tempting them by letting them stay near you. I don't want to pressure you; more than anything I want an honest answer. But I just…I really hope you feel the same."

Ichigo didn't have the heart to tell his dad he was gay, what with his dad wanting him to be a 'man', and he could never break it to Orihime that he only loved her as a sister when he suspected she loved him in a very…_different_ way, but this…trusting Grimmjow with his most personal secret…why was it something he wanted to do? And why did he hold back the third time he fought Grimmjow? Why did it hurt every time he wielded Zangetsu against this powerful, muscular…*cough*_attractive*_cough* Espada?

And why did every blow Grimmjow landed on him sting all the way to his heart?

More importantly, why did being so close to the Espada feel so…_right_?

Grimmjow slipped his fingers into Ichigo's hair, surprised his hand didn't burn away when it met the flaming orange, silky substance.

"At least have a sample of my services…for my sake. Who knows? It might be better than you think…" Grimmjow kept a hopeful, wishing, desperate gleam in his eyes as he slowly closed the distance between their lips.

Ichigo's body lit up on fire as the Espada came closer and closer.

_Maybe he will be pretty good…I know I promised myself that I'd wait for Mr. Perfect, but maybe his last name should be Mr. Jaeggerjaques instead…._

Ichigo let the kiss sink in.

_It's surprisingly much gentler than what I'd expect from him…and his lips are so soft…_

Ichigo had no choice. One kiss wasn't enough, and Grimmjow seemed happy enough to keep the kisses coming.

_They're so…addictive…despite their gentleness, they're so intense…it's like getting a lip massage from a rose…it's so…good…._

Ichigo pushed Grimmjow onto the bed mindlessly, straddling him, completely lost to the world and willing to do _anything_ to get more love.

When he finally let their lips part, he was met with a slightly confused look from the man under him.

"Wow, Shinigami….Guess you enjoyed it?"

Ichigo was silent. He didn't have the words to express how he felt right now.

He only had action.

Ever so slowly, he let the kisses resume and deepen. Grimmjow was certainly staying here, and he'd certainly have a nice warm bed to come home to.

-x-X-x-X-x-

"GOOOOOOOOD MORRNIIIING IIICHIGOOO! Wait...WHAT THE HELL?"

Ichigo woke up, for once unprepared after last night. The man beside him in bed had covered them both completely, and had wrapped his arms around his waist from behind, pulling them together.

Ichigo turned as red as an apple, his father starring at him with twitching eyebrows and a VERY confused look on his face.

"Um, Dad…why don't I introduce you to my boyfriend _after_ he and I get dressed?"

Isshin Kurosaki left his son's room, for once unhappy to have barged in uninvited at some ungodly hour of the AM.

Smuggling-your-boyfriend-**FAIL**.


End file.
